Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

We had a wonderful time on our family trip to Scotland! Kate came up with a great itinerary for us so that we could see a lot of the sites in a limited amount of time. We had a couple of minor issues but we were able to work through them with some help from Kate. I would definitely recommend!

We loved our trip to Scotland! Our Kimkim agent planned a trip to cover the highlights of NW Scotland starting from where we ended our trek in Fort William. The hotels were gems - historical, great breakfasts, unique in themselves. Staying in the Monkstadt near the sea with its tasting dinner was a highlight. The sites chosen were interesting and we loved Dunvegan Castle and the seal trip. We did have a few hiccups that might need to be considered. The daily suggested times for each site did not always account for the leave times set by the limited breakfast times at the inns and the time it takes to drive to each site as the roads were often one lane and very slow. We dropped a few suggested items and tried to add one back in later which then led to a very long day. Very long days in Scotland mean no dinner as you need a reservation to eat in the small towns which is hard to do when you don't know when you will get there and most of the kitchens close at 8. One day put us back into town at 8:30 due to ferry times but we had made a reservation and were able to run to the restaurant in time for a wonderful seafood dinner along the water - as the kitchen was closing. Either carry enough food for lunch and dinner each day, or plan more time into the itinerary. The two major hiccups were the lack of including a rental car even though the booking said it included self-drive. Luckily, we caught this in time to rent a car, but that was additional funds we did not know about ahead of time. The other one was our itinerary said one ferry time, but the ticket had a different time. Luckily, we also caught that and were able to adjust our plans. The trip was often magical and enjoyable and sometimes a scramble. Such is travel.

Aleksandra plotted out a wonderful collection of experiences for me. I finally got to the castle in Edinburgh and saw the Kelpis in Falkirk. I took delightful tours of the Scottish countryside and even got up to the Isle of Skye. I now also have a totally different and positive view of Glasgow, thanks to my informative and friendly guide. The main purpose of the trip was to see my "pen-pal" Ray, since she has not been in the best of health, but I am glad to say that she and her husband were able to spend the day with me. It is hard to believe that we have been in contact for over 60 years!

Scottish Adventure!
Rachel helped us plan a weeklong vacation in the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye . She was able to take our request and organize them into a concise, easy to follow itinerary that including planes, trains, ferries, taxis , hotels and tour buses . From Glasgow to Fort Williams , Isle of Skye to Inverness to Aberdeen. All the planning was done and easily to follow on the app. The road book was thorough making our trip a complete success. I would definitely recommend KimKim to friends and family .

Hotel Reviews

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

This hotel is above a pub. It was a little deceiving because there was no reception area. You went into the actual pub but one’s going upstairs. The rooms were comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Not often do you get to stay above one of the oldest pubs in Inverness

Location

Close to the river and many attractions.

Staff

Everyone was polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Showers and bathroom were clean! Beds were comfortable.

The Bosville Hotel

Portree

The hotel was right in the center of Portee . The food for breakfast was fabulous. It was clean and comfortable. Our room was over the bar area that closed at 11 making it a little noisy before bed.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms were clean and comfortable with great breakfast

Location

Centrally located with great views

Staff

Polite and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed and showers

The Station Hotel, Aberdeen

Aberdeen

The hotel was very old amd not kept up , floors were uneven , doors were all noisy or didn’t close properly. The furniture looked like it was worn and carpet was stained . There was little security with access to rooms without barriers .

Authenticity & Character

Needs to be remodeled

Location

The location was central to the train station , buses and waterfront. There was no security.

Staff

All the waitstaff was polite .

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was dingy and the floors were uneven in the room .

Ben View Guesthouse

Fort William

Large family room with comfortable beds and spotless bathroom ! Easy walk from train station and into town with access to shops , restaurants and scenic views!

Authenticity & Character

Charm and helpful staff !

Location

Close to train station!

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Skye In A Day From Portree Visiting The Most Scenic Spots

Scotland

S’ Math Sin Skye Tours was a very personal tour of the Isle of Skye with a local who loves to share his knowledge and history of Skye . Seeing the Fairy polls , Fairly Glens , waterfalls and Culkins . Lots of history and stories!

Quality of Experience

Kevin is a great tour guide !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So many local treasures!

Transport

Comfortable !

Private transfer in town

Scotland

On time ! Quick trip to airport .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dunnottar Castle & Royal Deeside

Aberdeen

Alan was an excellent tour guide on this small group Rabbie tour . Comfortable van and lots information and extra castles !

Quality of Experience

This excursion was fabulous!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan was knowledgeable about the countryside, castles and history !

Transport

Rabbie’s comfortable van !

Canal and Loch - Loch Ness Tour with Urquhart Castle included & Bus to Inverness

Inverness

This Tour was comfortable and predictable. The timing with the arrival to the castle was not great to be able to see a movie in the visitor center and toward the castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat staff

Transport

Timing

Everything was great besides the Station Hotel in Aberdeen. Planning, transportation, tours and the app were all outstanding besides that.

Hotel Reviews

The Station Hotel, Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Place was very run down, floor in room was uneven to the point of hazard. Room was far too hot. Shower water was scalding hot, and couldn’t be changed to normal temperature to the point I was unable to fully shower

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bosville Hotel

Portree

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower was a little small

Ben View Guesthouse

Fort William

Very focused on high quality service. Left chocolates and whiskey for my birthday and filled our waters before leaving

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skye In A Day From Portree Visiting The Most Scenic Spots

Scotland

Wish I could give it 6 stars, despite bad weather Kevin was the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dunnottar Castle & Royal Deeside

Aberdeen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alan was fantastic

Transport

Canal and Loch - Loch Ness Tour with Urquhart Castle included & Bus to Inverness

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Both Adam and Sandy were outstanding. All the hotels were amazing. Pauline with help from Gabriella could not have been better. If you had a question, they got back to you with an answer almost immediately. They were great! Thank you so much, Pauline!!!

Hotel Reviews

No11 Boutique Hotel & Brasserie

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Foyers Lodge

Inverness

I wished to stay at a hunting lodge and this place was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Charming building.

Location

Beautiful view of Loch Ness and close to Inverness.

Staff

The young woman that helped us at any time of the day was fantastic. She was so polite and pleasant. Outstanding!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Fort William

Beautiful experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Square

Stirling

My wife just loved this place. It located close to everything we wanted to do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eskdale hotel

langholm

The staff was outstanding and the location was perfect.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walk up Calton Hill

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Langhom

Langholm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Edinburgh

AMAZING!!! Bucket list experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

Very fun, relaxing, and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

Sandy was a pleasure to learn from. Great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A special Armstrong tour

Langholm

Adam is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Scotland and really enjoyed our experience with Kimkim. Kate was kind, responsive and helpful throughout both the planning and the trip itself. Whenever we had a question or needed something changed, she was quick to help.

Ness Walk in Inverness was one of our favourite stays and a great recommendation and I wished we spent more time there! We also had an amazing private tour with Sandy, who was very knowledgeable and made the experience so enjoyable. Our journey to Skye with Anca was another highlight, she shared so much with us along the way and made the drive itself part of the experience.

We also really appreciated Kate’s flexibility when we decided last minute to spend our final night in Edinburgh instead of Glencoe. She helped rearrange our transportation and organised a driver for us, which made the change much easier.

Our only disappointment was Glencoe House. We had specifically asked for a castle experience and were happy to pay more for it, but our reservation was in one of the separate lodges rather than the main house. This was mentioned in the itinerary, so I also take responsibility for not looking more closely, but I do wish the difference had been highlighted more clearly given what we had originally asked for. Kate did try to help once we raised our concerns, which we appreciated.

Overall, we had a beautiful and memorable trip, with so many highlights including the Highlands, Skye, the castles and seeing the Jacobite steam train crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct which as harry potter fans was the best thing in our trip! And Ian our driver was so understanding and helped us in arranging the viewing at the right time so we dont miss the jacobite train
.
We really appreciated all of Kate’s support and efforts throughout our journey she’s amazing ♡

Hotel Reviews

Glencoe House

Ballachulish

I’m giving it 3 stars because, although the lodge itself was clean, comfortable and well equipped with food, it wasn’t quite the experience we had hoped for. We wanted to end our trip relaxing in the main house, but our reservation was in the lodge instead. The hotel also doesn’t have a restaurant or lounge that lodge guests can use for tea or relaxing, as the main house is made up of private suites. So even though we were staying on the property, we didn’t really get to experience the house itself. If you’re looking for more of a castle-style experience, I’d recommend booking one of the suites in the main house. We had booked for two nights but ended up staying for only one.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monkstadt 1745 - Luxury Lodge

Linicro, Isle of Skye

We stayed one night here in the lodge as we had requested twin beds, and the sea view was beautiful, especially at sunset. We also enjoyed having tea at the hotel, it was so cozy we loved it! It was lovely to connect the stories we heard throughout the trip with the history of the hotel. So interesting and one of our favorite stays

Authenticity & Character

The history

Location

We loved the sea view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ness Walk

Inverness

The best hotel we stayed at during our trip! The service was amazing, and every member of staff was incredibly helpful and welcoming. We also loved the beautiful river views from the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bonham

Edinburgh

Amazing hotel the staff are so friendly and its located near deans village. We had an issue in the room which we highlighted to the front desk and they quickly resolved it and changed our room.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel has amazing history

Location

Its a walking distance from Edinburgh castle and so close to deans village

Staff

The staff were so understanding and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

This was our favorite tour with the amazing Sandy. Sandy was an amazing tour guide in Inverness! We really enjoyed our time with him and learned so much throughout the tour. He was very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and made the experience really enjoyable for us. We really appreciated the time we spent with him and would definitely recommend him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alnwick Castle Tour – The Real Hogwarts from Harry Potter

Edinburgh

As Harry Potter fans, we were so happy to visit Alnwick Castle and see the filming locations! Our trip started from Edinburgh, and our driver was informative, friendly and had a great sense of humour. He shared lots of interesting information about the places we passed on the way to the castle and back. We really enjoyed our time there, although it became very windy later in the day so we couldn’t enjoy the archery. Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, there are different shows and activities to enjoy, and the castle itself has so much history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dunrobin Castle

Inverness

I absolutely loved Dunrobin Castle. The castle itself was beautiful and full of character, and I really enjoyed exploring the interiors and learning more about its history. Unfortunately, it was raining during our visit so we didn’t get to properly explore the gardens, but the castle was still one of the highlights of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have used KimKim previously for a trip to Norway with success, and had high hopes for our trip to Scotland. Unfortunately, the trip was not planned well, and I feel that this service was mostly a waste of money, and it was a lot of money! We had emphasized at the start of this that we wanted a trip with a focus on nature and history, but ideally would like to avoid a bunch of churches and castles since those get repetitive. We were hoping for walks and museums, mostly.

In Edinburgh the initial old town private tour was very superficial with a focus on shopping locations and Harry Potter trivia rather than the history of the old town and culture of Scotland. It didn't help that it was given by a man who was new to the position and not a native to the area, so he was clearly giving info that he had just recently learned himself. The food tour had the wrong start location, and when we reported this to Tetiana our specialist, she reminded us that we could have checked the start location ourselves. We paid a ton of money so that we wouldn't have to double check all her work, so this was a frustrating response. Of note, our favorite visit in Ediburgh was the Surgeon's museum, which had great history and culture and demonstrated some of the impact that Scotland has had globally. This museum was one we picked ourselves on arrival, it was not suggested by Tetiana.

The Oban leg of the trip was fine, although this was the start of the difficulty with timing. Driving consistently took around 30% longer than our schedule had listed, and so we consistently had to remove one of the stops from each day from this point onwards. Calculating out the timing, we would have been getting back to the hotel between 7 and 9 PM nightly, which was not what we were looking for when the day also included 2-6 hrs of driving. Of note, the church we were supposed to visit in Glencoe on the way to Oban was closed, and it was just a local church for the town, not a destination from what we could tell. There was a war memorial nearby that might have been a better alternative to a closed local church.

Fort William was not very interesting, and when we ran into locals and mentioned this city, they were surprised we would even go there.

For the Isle of Skye, we stayed in Portree, and the museum suggested in the guide did not exist. There is nothing called the "Portree museum," and the closest thing was called the "Skye Museum of Island Life" which is a pretty different name! Especially when we emphasized wanting to get the history and culture of the area, I wish more care had been taken to make sure these museums existed.

The trip to Loch Lomond was fine, also, I have no major complaints.

While some issues with the trip I can blame on Scotland itself (such as the hot weather, lack of trees, lack of birds and small mammals, poor ability to consume the history outside of castles, apparently), many of the issues with the trip could have been avoided if a bit more care had been taken in planning the trip. I will not be using KimKim again, as it has proven itself too unreliable for my money!

Hotel Reviews

Cameron house

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Whispering Pine Lodge

Loch Lochy, Spean Bridge, Scotland, PH34 4DZ

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No11 Boutique Hotel & Brasserie

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seal Spotting Loch Linnhe Cruise

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vegan Scottish Food Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Treshnish Isles Wildlife Cruise and Staffa Trip from Oban

Oban

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have been waiting to have a moment to write you a note to say thank you for planning our Scotland trip. We all enjoyed every activity you chose for us! Every detail was absolutely perfect. You selected the most perfect tours/activities to maximize our time in each location and to see as much of Scotland as possible during our stay. I sincerely appreciate the way you planned everything to be so seamless. Our transportation arrangements were all perfectly timed, and it was easy to get to our hotel accommodations from each train/bus station. We loved each of the hotels you booked for us in Scotland, and every one of your restaurant suggestions was delicious. Our two private tour guides, Jack in Edinburgh and Stuart in Inverness, were both wonderful. We especially enjoyed Stuart! I cannot say enough good things about our experience with you! I could never have planned such a perfect trip on my own!

Hotel Reviews

The Glen Mhor Hotel and Uile-bheist Brewery & Distillery

Inverness

Beautiful location on the river. Perfect for our family of 3!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maldron Hotel Glasgow City

Glasgow

Great location. Nice, comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lochiel Villa Guest House

Fort William

Very nice room that was comfortable for 2 adult and one teen. Note - luggage cannot be stored on site and must be stored about a mile away at another hotel. Not an issue if you know this before you arrive!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

There is no staff on site.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh

Edinburgh,

Nice sized room with enough space for 2 adults and 1 teen. Perfect location very close to the train station.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Edinburgh

Jack was very knowledgeable and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jacobite Steam Train

Scotland

This is a wonderful way to see the Highlands!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Half-Day Loch Ness Tour from Inverness City

Inverness

This was one of our favorite parts of our time in Scotland! Our private guide, Stuart, was wonderful and made the experience fun for our whole family!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Real Mary King’s Close

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Ultimate Isle of Skye Tour from Inverness

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First of all, we would like to thank Rachael from the bottom of your hearts. She did a wonderful job from the planning of the trip, the zoom call to finalize, and checking on us during the trip. Everything was perfect. Each room was perfect from the Apex in Edinburgh, Tall Pines in Pictlockary, Raasay House, and Glenview B and B in Luss. The castles were amazing from Stirling to Inverary. The scenery along the trip was breathtaking. We hike several trails on Raasay. The climb from the ocean to the top of temptation was a great hike. Touring the distillary on Raasay and at Oban were wonderful. The tasting at Raasay with whiskey and chocolates was a highlight the trip. The town of Luss was beautiful with flowers blooming outside of the houses.
We would highly recommend Kim Kim and Rachael to everyone who is planning a trip. It will be several years before we can plan our next trip to England. We will be contacting Rachael and Kim Kim when we start planning that trip.

Hotel Review

Pine Trees Hotel

Pitlochry

The room was perfect and the breakfast was wonderful. We arrived at Pine Trees before the rain started. After we were in the room, the rain began and sitting in the room listening to the rain was so relaxing. The hotel had snacks set out and a tea pot in the room. So afternoon tea was so enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful interior

Location

Peaceful

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect

Activity Review

Raasay Whisky, Gin and chocolate tour

Scotland

The chocolates were perfect with the whiskey

Quality of Experience

Staff was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were great

Transport

This was our 10th world tour for our Taekwondo group, and it was the best! We have had several good agents in the past, but dealing with KimKim has been, by far, the best! Jane Davey and Celina were so helpful and on top of everything, that with my wife's skills, made this the most hassle-free trip we have ever been on.

Even during our trip to Scotland, the incredible agents were there for us, ready to answer any questions, or take care of any little problems that came up (which was minimal).

Jane's suggestions and guidance, and Celina's excellence in coordinating the hotels and activities was amazing! If there was some kind of special award in the travel field, they should be the winners hands down!

Thanks so much KimKim for being at the right place at the right time when we were searching for experts to help us on our complicated journey of our group 49 martial artists travelling so far from Colorado!

When we plan our next trip, there is no question of where we will start!

Hotel Review

Boat Country Inn and Restaurant

Aviemore

The friendliest, helpful staff in Scotland! We will be back! They made our time so memorable!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful!

Location

Staff

The kindergarten teacher who did our breakfast time was incredible! Thanks!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Dolphin Watching Expedition

Inverness

It was obvious there were going to be no dolphins to see, but the boat ride was fine.

Quality of Experience

Three Isles Tour – Mull, Iona & Staffa

Oban

Quality of Experience

Private Driver Guide - Heritage Tour - Fully Bespoke

Scotland

Can't beat James Gray! He took care of and energized us during our time in Oban! Knowledgeable and fun! I'd love to play music with him anytime!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Salome at High Point Holidays helped me plan an incredible trip to Scotland. We visited cities and villages we had not visited before and had wonderful excursions and experiences. On our arrival day in Edinburgh, tour guide Chris Walker met us at our hotel and took us on a walking tour of the Royal Mile. Chris was full of great stories and information about the Royal Mile and was an absolute delight. He even called a local restaurant and arranged a dinner reservation for us. We elected not to rent a car so Salome tailored our itinerary so we could take advantage of the excellent rail services. All of our tickets were purchased for us and all the details were included in our Road Book. It was much easier than we expected to travel by rail. St. Andrews was our first stop. We stayed at the lovely Albany Hotel steps away from the cathedral ruins and the castle. The shopping and dining options abounded even for someone like me who eats gluten-free. In Pitlochry, we enjoyed the Black Spout trail and waterfall. Next, we had a 5 star falconry experience at the Bird of Prey Center in Loch Lomond. We had a whole hour with a falconer and three different gorgeous birds. The center is an absolute treasure for educating the public and conserving the world's birds of prey. Our final city was Sterling. We enjoyed visiting the Wallace Monument and climbed all the way to the crown! Our visit to Sterling Castle was grand. The history of this majestic palace and military stronghold is so impressive. Edinburgh Executive Travel handled our incoming and outgoing airport transfers in plush comfort.

Hotel Reviews

The Stirling Highland Hotel

Stirling

This hotel is advertised as a 4 star property. Our bedroom at this hotel was dark, rundown and not well maintained. The draperies were hanging askew, the linens and towels were not as nice as all the other places we stayed, and the carpet was stained. The bathroom was particularly disappointing. The wooden panel fronting the tub was chipped and unsightly. On the positive side, the buffet full English breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

As a former high school, the building has tons of character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our bedroom at this hotel was dark, rundown and not well maintained. The draperies were hanging askew, the linens and towels were not as nice as all the other places we stayed, and the carpet was stained. The bathroom was particularly disappointing. The wooden panel fronting the tub was chipped and unsightly.

The Frederick House Hotel

Edinburgh

Comfortable and classic. Clean and well maintained.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the old city

Cleanliness & Comfort

Modern bathroom, beautiful linens, clean

Activity Reviews

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfort and professionalism. It was such a welcome luxury to begin and end our trip with this service.

National Wallace Monument visit

Scotland

Quality of Experience

The monument is awe-inspiring. Just do it--climb the spiral staircase and visit the history on each level. The crown is incredible!

Sea Safary around the Isle of May

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was an amazing source of knowledge about the birds and seals.

Transport

The boat trip was just super fun.

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide - Two hours

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris Walker is personable and so knowledgeable. He went above and beyond by suggesting a restaurant and calling to make a reservation for us.

Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre Flying Experience

Scotland

We had an incredible hour with our guide. It was just the two of us, our falconer and three gorgeous birds. We learned so much about the birds and had plenty of time to admire each one up close.

Quality of Experience

The staff is amazing and dedicated to educating the public. The center is so clean and well-maintained. It is so obvious the birds are receiving the best care.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at the center are taking excellent care of the birds and the facility

We had the most amazing experience on our trip to Scotland. Thank you to Jane and Celina for working with us to create such an incredible trip. We took a group of 49 Taekwondo students and family members from the Colorado Taekwondo Institute on a 10 day trip to Scotland where we visited Stirling for 2 days, Aviemore and Inverness for 3 days and Oban for 3 days. Our trip was seamless. Our excursions and activities had just the right balance and we were able to include many meals for our group. We even got to visit the highland games at Drumtochty Castle and do a demonstration for the crowd. Another highlight of our trip was having a special guide on the last full day of our trip. James Gray was amazing.

Where to start: the guides, Gareth in Edinburgh, William and Dr Murray in Stirling, and Nathan in Glencoe were all amazing. They were quite knowledgeable in their fields , full of funny and interesting stories and set their pace so Grandma could keep up,

Favorite large city Stirling was the best. We were lucky enough to be touring on Armed Forces Day. Not only did we have Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument but the joy of the marching soldiers, bagpipes and dancers. It was wonderful. We also had a great meal at the Allen Park. Almost forgot, we also had a fun evening at a pub with many sailors who were heading out to sea the next day.

Accommodations; loved them all but one. Inverness hotel was not our favorite. No parking except a couple of blocks away. Our family room was not in the main building. We had to walk upstairs into the building then downstairs to our basement room. Not the best situation. We really liked the No 17 Promenade in Plockton. Nice rooms, great meal, pretty town to walk about.

Best Day: Isle of Mull. As you know our search for the “hairy coos” was not going well. The girls kept doing internet searches and found the beach for swimming and coos roaming about. Love Scotlands right to roam because that’s what we did. We were on roads that were nothing more than cow paths but finally arrived and were rewarded with lots of coos. Jennifer headed to the Laggnan (sp) beach and swam in the Irish Sea. Carol Ann and I spent lots of time communing with the coos. Such gentle, curious animals. We then joined Jen on the beach and the coos followed us. The babies played then they all laid down for a rest. It was perfect . After so much time there, We only had time to visit the weavers on Mull and spend lots of money. Never even made it to Iona

The Tallisker distillery tour was not very good. The guide spoke too fast and was quite hard to understand.

We did all the hikes. I had some difficulty at the end of Arthur’s Seat and old man of Stor and didn’t quite make it to the top. The girls did though. The downhills were very hard on my old knees. The Fairy Pools were rushing with water. We never saw Divitch (sp) falls but we hiked to the top and down for 6 miles. Loved the gentle stroll with Nathan in Glencoe and the hike we did near Luss and Loch Lomond.

Greatest disappointment other than leaving Scotland was the lack of time we had walking around all the little towns we stayed in. We were always exhausted at the end of our day.
We wish we had more time at Culloden and Cawder Castle. One hour at each was not enough time.

I’m sure I have missed something but I think you get the idea it was a wonderful holiday for all of us. Your team did a great job helping us plan this marvelous visit to Scotland. So much so, we want to come back. Thank you.

Now for the business end. Can I get an itemized account of our trip? Also, since we didn’t do the Jacobite Train do we get a refund? Will definitely use KimKim again. Rosemary Carrico

Aleksandra,
Sorry it has taken me so long to post, really busy..

Our trip was amazing. We love the places we went. On Isles of the Sky we got re-routed because 2 vans got stuck on a one car road, they were going opposite directions.. It was the best we then decided to go to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens (stunning) and Neist Point Cliff Lighthouse... It was great... Our favorite was Ireland, we are outdoor people and it was beautiful... We did like CLiffs of Moher, but loved Clifs of Kilkee more. You had less people and got closer to the cliffs...

It is quite interesting how the people of Northern Ireland speak alot of the history. It is still very fresh in their minds, even though the rest of the world it seems to have happened a long time ago..

Loved the people in Scotland and Ireland very kind people...

Thank you so much for making the trip special, you did a great job...

Activity Reviews

The Johnnie Walker Signature Experience

Edinburgh

Causeway Coast & Antrim Adventure Private Tour

Scotland

Belfast Private Walking Tour

Belfast

Private Glasgow Essentials Tour

Scotland

Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

Scotland

Every guided tour was excellent. Every transfer was on time with helpful & courteous people. Everything was as planned; expectations met and exceeded.

Hotel Reviews

The Haymarket Hotel

Edinburgh

Great location, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Built 1850s

Location

Walking to center city, near train station, near trolly stop

Staff

Clean daily, quick breakfast

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds not the best, very stiff

Bearnock Lodge

Charming, beautiful, fully equipped, extremely comfortable beds

Authenticity & Character

150 years old

Authenticity & Character

150 years old

Location

Deep in the Highlands country

Location

Deep in the Highlands country

Staff

No staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bambough and Alnwick Castles & the Borders

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of York

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highland Coo Tour

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

None

Highlands Day Tour from Inverness

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isle of Skye Tour including the Eilean Donan Castle, Portree and other attractions

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loch Ness Tour

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kateryna (our KimKim agent), created an incredible and unforgettable UK adventure for us. We explored South England to Northern Scotland by rental car, train, sleeper train, bicycle and boat. This is the second time we have used KimKim to plan our travels and this once again did not disappoint. We will not hesitate to reach out agin when planning for our next destination!

We had such a memorable trip from start to finish! It’s really hard to pick out favorites! Our walking tour through Edinburgh was fabulous. It was just the two of us with our guide Garreth. He goes by The Edinburgh Expert which is fitting. He was knowledgeable, funny, and loves the city which he does conveys so well. We also enjoyed our drive to the Fife area and all the coastal towns. The fish and chips were maybe the best we’ve ever had and the stop at Dunino Den was fun and surprising. We drove just under 1000 miles from the east coast to the west. All for us on the “wrong” side of the road! Lots of narrow, curvy roads and roundabouts of all sizes. Getting to see so much of the beautiful landscape is probably what we remember fondest.

Hotel Reviews

The Highland Club

Fort Augustus

The Scott

Edinburgh

Great location with beautiful rooms and delicious breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Food & Drink Tour

Edinburgh

St Andrews Walking Tour of the Old Course

St Andrews

Meet the Highland Cows

Scotland

This was a great experience. The owner is very passionate about the cows and the environment. Plus, you get some homemade ice cream at the end!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

One of our favorite experiences from our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kate at KimKim planned a two week self guided/train tour of the UK. We provided our interests and Kate planned our itinerary. Kate nailed it the first time. The hotels were outstanding. Our private guides were awesome, especially Jacob in Oxford, Allen in Edinburgh, John in Inverness, and Delianne in London!
Kate was comminicating with us throughout the tour and answered a few minor questions we had as we moved through the stops. We couldn't have asked for more! Onto the next trip!!

Activity Reviews

Discover London in a Private Black Cab

London

The private black cab tour in London with Chris was phenomenal. He curated a tour that complemented our existing itinerary and took us to unique spots we wouldn't have discovered on our own. His flexibility and knowledge made this a standout experience during our time in London.

Isle of Skye Tour including the Eilean Donan Castle, Portree and other attractions

Inverness

The day trip to the Isle of Skye was quite an experience, even though the weather was miserable with big raindrops and howling wind. Our tour guide was fantastic and made the trip enjoyable despite the weather, embracing the natural harshness of the Isle's climate. The scenery and sites were amazing, and it made for a memorable adventure.

Private Viking Walk of York

England

The Private Viking Walk of York with Neil was a bit overwhelming. While Neil was a nice guy and took us to interesting spots, he overwhelmed us with too much detailed information. His lengthy speeches and the tour running over time left us a bit exhausted. A more concise approach would have been appreciated.

Our family trip to the land of our ancestors in Scotland was a tremendous success, thanks in large part to our local specialist, Jane Davey, and her associate, Marine-Héloïse, who helped create a truly one-of-a-kind experience. The trip took a great deal collaboration and planning beforehand, but with their expertise we were able to put together the perfect trip for our family. Jane and Marine also connected us with Graeme Clive of Kilted Piper Tours who guided us for five days of our journey, including the Isle of Skye which was one of the real highlights of the trip. We enjoyed visiting many historic castles and their gardens, as well as the tasting experiences of visiting several scotch whiskey distilleries. Overall, we learned a great deal about the history of Scotland and our ancestors (including visiting some of the film locations of the television series Outlander which we were great fans of). We highly recommend working with Jane and Marine if a tour of Scotland is in your future!